You'll Always Be My Hero
by Nero-Moore
Summary: After getting fired from Smackdown, Kelly moves to over to RAW. Here she finds herself pitted between her past and her possible future.
1. Just Another Manic Monday

**A/N:** So I love Kelly, not afraid to admit it. She's been my muse recently and I've decided to start a new story starring her! I hope that you guys enjoy it and give a little feedback. This story deals with the storylines as though it were all true, so ring-names will be used, e.g. Kelly Kelly will not be known as Barbara. As a note, I obviously own none of what appears in this story besides the plot. Everything is either owned by Vince McMahon or the person themselves. Hope you like it!

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"May I have you attention please? I have just received an email from the anonymous RAW general manager. And I quote: 'After the heinous attack on John Cena last week by the Miz, I feel that the RAW roster needs a pick-me-up. Luckily, our newest addition to the Red brand is perfect for the job.'"

_Holla! Holla! Holla! So all my girls in the back say ooh, cause you know just how we do…_

The crowd in Atlanta ignited as the beautiful Kelly Kelly skipped out from the back, a large smile on her face. After being fired from Smackdown by Vickie a few weeks earlier, the WWE Universe had resigned themselves to the fact that she would be gone for quite some time. However, the anonymous GM had skirted around his female counterpart on Smackdown and now here the bubbly Diva was! Thrilled to be back, she slapped hands with a ton of fans before sliding into the ring and letting the cheers wash over her. It was truly amazing to be back.

"What's up, Atlanta!" she yelled into her newly acquired microphone. The crowd roared in response, but quieted down when she began to talk again. "I hope you guys didn't miss me too much these past couple of weeks. That witch may have gotten me out of Smackdown, but she's got no control over here on RAW. And I'm excited to-"

_We walk alone in the unknown. We live to win another victory. Our sacred scars show who we are. It's time to face it! We are one. We are one. We stand together. Number one. Number one. The chosen ones…_

Boos spread like wildfire at the familiar music and Kelly's pretty face scrunched up in confusion. The announcer merely shrugged as four out of five Nexus members slowly trudged down to the ring. Their fearless leader, who apparently suffered a minor muscle tweak at a house show days prior, was nowhere to be found. That didn't put Kelly anymore at ease, so she kept her eyes glued to them at all times. The men did the same to her as though she were the big bad wolf in this situation.

She watched with baited breath as they all stared her down. The negative reaction from the crowd had curled itself far back in her head and all she could hear was her own heartbeat. Her heart was telling her that surely they wouldn't attack a Diva for no reason, but her mind was forcing the images down her throat of all the damage they'd done thus far. So lost in thought, Kelly jumped when David Otunga began to speak.

"Let's call us your welcoming crew, Kelly. We just wanted to come out here, receive you into the RAW brand, and…" His face grew deadly serious before he continued, "let you know that teaming up with that buddy of yours, John Cena, or even Randy Orton is a death wish."

"I-I don't even-"

"Look, you're a pretty girl. And Kelly, we'd hate to see something happen…" His not-so-veiled threat made her blanch and all she could do was stare as they turned and headed up the ramp. They were halfway to the back when some kind of anger seized her. Who were they to come out and interrupt her first night back?

"Hey…Hey!" The second time she yelled got their attention. All members turned as their music faded and Kelly took a moment to catch her breath. "I'm not afraid. Not of you and certainly not of your hollow threats. You're a bunch of bullies, so I'll tell you what I told Drew McIntyre a few weeks ago: grow up!"

All pairs of eyes were on her and she was sure they would take flight with bat wings and razor sharp teeth like something out of a child's nightmare in a moment, but instead David just slowly shook his head and they continued back up the ramp. While she marked this battle a victory, something in the pit of Kelly's stomach told her that the war had just begun.

* * *

For the next week, she did her best to avoid the conflict at all costs, even if it meant ungracefully throwing herself behind a large potted plant midway through a conversation with Natalya in the hotel lobby. Sure, she had been full of gusto on RAW, but without the large crowd to back her up, Kelly felt like an ant compared to those men. She certainly didn't want to be the one to test their moral grounds when it came to hitting women, especially when those women stood up to them on live television.

When next Monday night rolled around, she had finally managed to push the group from her mind. Nexus had kept their distance in the last week, despite horrible images plaguing her of a horse head in her bed a la "The Godfather". With a match against the recently malicious Melina later on in the night, she couldn't bring herself to think of anything else. The woman that she once called a friend had found herself on a power trip as of late that had her back-stabbing her way through the Diva's locker room. All decency was called off and it was clear that her aim was to decimate any opponent in the ring. True, over on Smackdown, Kelly had taken to fighting the likes of LayCool rather successfully, but it had been a while since she stepped in the ring with Melina. The girl was one of the quickest and most flexible on the roster and used that to her advantage whenever she could. With that thought penetrating her mind as Kelly stepped into the ring, it felt like she had a stomach full of hummingbirds.

While she did her best to keep Melina off kilter with equally quick moves and hard punches, Kelly was no match for the California beauty who was gunning for the woman's championship. Still, she stood as her opponent walked to the back and managed a proud fist for the cheering crowd. Both women had put up a fight and that was all that mattered. So she limped her way backstage and headed straight for the trainers. She had landed badly halfway through the match and while no scary damage seemed to be done, she probably would be bruised. He confirmed, gave her an ice pack, and sent her on her way with the promise that she would keep off it as best she could…that proved harder than she believed as the night's events unfolded.

She watched from the couch in the Diva's locker room as her friend John Cena made his way out. Half of the Orlando crowd cheered and yelled, while the other booed. He still smiled, slowly making his way down to the ring, and waved to those holding signs and wearing merchandise. That was one of the things she respected most about John; while Kelly was heartbroken when fans didn't respond positively to her or her performance, he simply didn't care. John was there to entertain, whether you loved him or hated him. His nonchalance was something to be jealous of in a business as criticized as pro wrestling. When he grabbed the mic, she leaned forward slightly and tried to hear what he had to say over the sound of Eve singing in the nearby shower.

"So…here I am. Not gonna lie, Miz did a number on me last week. He busted up my leg with that title belt I love so much, like it was icing on the cake for him. And while I'm limping out here to this ring, I'm still here, which proves that he won't be keeping me down. I have fought my way back from a broken neck! If he thinks his cheap shots are gonna put me down, that punk is sorely mistaken. Next week I'll be one hundred percent and then-"

Familiar music cut off the rest of John's speech and Kelly watched with a hardened expression as the same men who also interrupted her the previous week made their way to the ring. Once again, their leader was absent, but John didn't let his guard down because of it. In fact, he still watched them as they entered the ring as though he was itching for a fight; she guessed that his injured leg would say otherwise. With no words needed, they launched into their attack and as if by some supernatural force, Kelly jumped up from the couch and headed out the door.

The crowd erupted in cheers as she came out unexpectedly from behind the curtain. Even with her own limp, Kelly jetted down into the ring. Nexus backed up slightly as she pushed her way through the burly men, with no regards for her own safety, and knelt next to John. Kelly was relieved to have gotten their when she did, as it didn't look like they had gotten as far as they wanted with the now unconscious John Cena. That relief didn't last long, however, as they brought the circle close again to surround the terrified Diva and her friend. She wondered if the cameras could catch the almost violent shakes that had taken over her body at the sight of them towering over her with malice in their eyes. Her breathing was panicked and she ducked her head, awaiting the blows from hard boots and thick fists.

Instead, she felt their presence vanish and after a few seconds of debate, Kelly cautiously raised her head. Standing now in front of her was the leader himself, CM Punk. He curiously looked her over, as though he was seeing her for the first time, and she forced down a shiver under his gaze. The man staring back at her wasn't the one she had harbored a crush over all those years ago. His eyes held a cruelty that was unfamiliar and heartbreaking. She almost wondered if he would soon nod and allow his men to continue their assault.

Before he got his chance, though, the crowd burst to life again and another familiar face slid into the ring. The Rated R Superstar immediately bee-lined for Kelly and placed her protectively behind his back, quietly asking whether she was alright. But no words would come out as Punk's face turned to stone and with a nod, him and his goons left.

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**A/N:** There it is, the first chapter! And now I ask that you leave me something wonderful in the reviews. This can be suggestions, helpful criticisms, praise, etc. One thing that I do ask is would you prefer this to be a Edge/Kelly story or a Punk/Kelly story...or someone else/Kelly! Please leave a comment telling me which you'd rather see! It would be beyond appreciated and I'd give you all JoMo sunglasses.


	2. What is This Feeling?

**A/N: **I love all the love that you guys have been sending my way. You all seriously rock so much! :D

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"Ya know if you keep it up like that you're going dig through the floor…"

Kelly stopped her pacing for only a moment to shoot a half-hearted glare in Adam's direction. Once he stuck his hands up in defense she simply continued. She understood his attempt to lighten the situation though; Kelly was sure that she looked a mess with her hair out of place, while limping this way and that on her bruised leg. He had told her multiple times that she could go back to the hotel and that he'd text her with any information the trainer gave on John, but being stubborn she had turned his idea down. John was her friend and she refused to leave her friend in a time of need. The other Divas had often laughed that Kelly was the mother of the group, even at the youngest age, as she frequently took care of others over herself.

After a few more rounds of pacing, Kelly suddenly stopped. As though expecting some sort of freak-out Adam's body tensed up, but nothing came. Instead she walked over and put her arms tightly around him, hugging him close to her. Confusion passed through him, but he soon hugged her back just as tight.

"Thank you, Adam…" she murmured, her face buried in the fabric of his suit jacket. He didn't say anything in response, but simply petted her hair lightly and placed a kiss on her forehead.

The two stayed like that in silence and soaked in the comfort from one another. After what seemed like hours, one of the on-site trainers exited the room. They pulled back from one another and Kelly faced him with her lower lip set firmly between her teeth in a nervous gnawing. While she knew John could battle back from anything, it still pained her to think that he'd have to. He didn't deserve these random attacks week in and week out. But until she could stand up to the likes of Nexus or the Miz, Kelly had no say in the matter.

"He's got a minor concussion, which will set his return time back another week. John will need bed rest and some anti-inflammatory meds for his leg, but beyond that, he's free to go. No hospital visit needed."

At the trainer's promising words the two superstars breathed sighs of relief. Kelly wanted to feel as though a weight had been lifted for the time being, but it was impossible with the ever looming threat of Nexus in the back of her head. This wouldn't be their last attack, not by far. They thrived off of causing chaos and being in their line of fire made Kelly's heart jump into her throat. She did her best to hide her fear, but from the slight squeeze on her shoulder, Adam had clearly caught it.

He quietly thanked the trainer who headed back in to finish taking care of John and Adam immediately took her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. He was the kind of man that commanded attention and even when she attempted to avoid his gaze, he somehow pulled her back in.

"What's wrong, Kel?"

"Nothing, it's nothing…I'm fine."

"That's bullshit and we both know it." He sighed at her incompliance and attempted again in a softer tone. "C'mon Kelly. You can talk to me, you know you can."

"It's…It's just this whole Nexus thing has got me kind of freaked out." She ran a hand over her tired face and shook her head slightly as she thought about everything that RAW had brought her so far. "I thought they'd back off or at least let me out of it, but it seems like I'm terrified to even turn a corner with the thought of what they could do."

Adam pulled her back into the safety of his arms and Kelly allowed her tense muscles to relax as she breathed in his scent, a mix of mint gum and aftershave. Despite being thrown together on a whim weeks earlier, the blond was happy at the development of their friendship. Adam was sweet and funny with a charisma that could capture anyone's attention. He was a different breed than what she was used to on RAW with a few rough edges that made him the man he was in and out of the ring.

He began speaking as he pulled back and gave her a serious look, "Kelly…I could lie to you, but honestly I like you too much to do that. Those guys aren't just going to walk away now. You took a fatal step in going out there tonight and they'll want to make an example out of you; they'll want to show that no one's safe in this company. I need you to take care of yourself for once, Kel. John's a big boy and he's dealt with these guys before, so has Randy. It's you that has to walk away. Please…" Serious speech out of the way, Adam managed to crack a smile as he finished, "Besides, I'll keep myself up with worry and we both know how badly I need my beauty sleep."

With his cheesy jokes, Kelly couldn't help but smile up at him. She leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek as a thanks for all that he'd done tonight. He was quickly becoming her rock. They stood in silence for another minute before she jumped at the sudden buzzing from her pocket.

"Jeeze, this is close to the tenth text that Kaitlyn has sent me. I better call her before she starts thinking that the worst has happened." She shook her head and looked up from her cell phone. "Thanks again, Adam…for everything, honestly." With one last wave, the two superstars went their separate ways and Kelly finally called her friend back, who answered on the first ring in a panic.

"Kelly! Oh my God! Are you alright! I was watching RAW and Nexus was there and then you were out there and I just can't believe you ran out. What the hell were you thinking? You could have honestly been injured! This is what happens when you leave Smackdown, you lose your mind? I just-"

"KAITLYN!" Her voice held an amusement at her friend's speed-speaking, but she finally managed to get the girl on the other line to breathe. "Kait, I'm fine. It wasn't my most intelligent moment, but I just had to go out there and stand up to those jerks. I promise, I'm okay and I'm gonna try to step away. I was talking to Adam and he convinced me that these guys can take care of themselves, I'll just end up getting hurt."

"Adam, huh?" Kelly rolled her eyes at the tone in Kaitlyn's voice. She knew it anywhere and what she was implying wasn't helpful. The last thing she needed to be focusing on was some silly crush on someone like Adam. No doubt all the girls in the locker room at some point had found him cute, it would pass.

"Yes, Adam, ya know, my friend?"

"Friend, right, sure…"

"Look, believe what you'd like to believe, missy. However, I need to go. I'm gonna collapse if I don't get back to the hotel soon. All this adrenaline's wearing off."

"Alright, I'll let you go, K2. But don't think that I'm just letting this go!"

"I wouldn't think anything less of you…bye, Kait." Kelly shook her head as she slipped her phone back into her pocket and threw her duffle-bag onto the passenger's seat next to her. She wasn't lying to Kaitlyn either, she could feel the energy rolling away from her. All she wanted was a hot bath to soothe her aching muscles and sleep.

* * *

A small groan escaped her throat as she twisted herself further into the blankets and tried to ignore the clattering on her nightstand. It was the familiar sound of her phone vibrating on the glossy wood. Kelly rolled over and stared at the ceiling; had it been any other time she would have ignored it, but knowing that it was late, she couldn't help wondering who it could be and if it was important. After another minute the blond found the energy to grope blindly around the small table before she took hold of something small and compact.

The screen light was blinding as it illuminated the dark and she squinted, trying to adjust her eyes enough to read. The name 'PHIL' glared back at her, much like the man himself had done earlier that night.

"…the hell?" she croaked out, sitting up in the hotel bed and flicking on her light. This was certainly an interesting turn of events. What could he possibly have to say to her? Opening the text, she wasn't surprised at the small length of the message, but the implication. _'Kelly, I'm telling you as a friend, stay out of this. I don't want to see you hurt.'_

_

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_**A/N:** DUN DUN DUNNN! Okay, so minor suspense there at the end. What the hell is up with Phil? Anyway, thank you all so much for putting in your input as far as the pairing for this story. I've decided on it being a little triangle with Edge/Kelly/Punk. HOWEVER, for all you wonderful people who wanted another pairing, I've chosen to do oneshots. This includes: Kelly/Cena and Kelly/Orton. If you have any other pairings (even those not involving K2) feel free to drop me a message or add it here along with your review and I'll be happy to put it up. Thank you all so much again. Your support keeps my ideas flowing! Alright, this was much longer than intended, bye!


	3. You're Suffocating

**A/N: **hello! i'd like to apologize for all the chaos that has been keeping me from updating this in recent months. firstly, my muse was on the fritz for all things creative and i practically had to bang my head repeatedly against my keyboard to get anything out. secondly, i've been swamped with work, finishing my freshman year of college, and my sister's wedding plans. thirdly, i had a bit of a medical scare that kept me in and out of hospital beds. anyway, a lot has changed in the world of wwe, so this has become somewhat AU. hopefully you don't mind. adam will not be retiring, nexus will not be taken out, and phil is not leaving. anyway, with all that out, onto the story!

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Her eyes bore holes into the ceiling. She was almost certain that the people in the room above her would be able to feel the intensity of her gaze soon, yet she couldn't stop. Her attention was transfixed on one single spot; her body appeared comatose, while her mind was moving at the speed of light. Phil's message repeated again and again in her brain, like it was some riddle that needed figuring out. Of course, Phil himself seemed to be a riddle, so it was no wonder whatever came out of him was just as confusing.

Kelly kept the phone gripped tightly in her hand, shocked that she had managed to keep from cracking it straight in half. She didn't think the flimsy piece of technology could take much more abuse. Still, she kept it slammed shut. Writing a response to Phil would only lead to a conversation with him that she didn't particularly feel like having this late at night…or did she?

Letting out a frustrated groan, the blond flopped her tiny body over to lie on her side. The pout set firmly on her face was record breaking. Her thoughts forced their way back to Phil. Years before he'd still been a mystery to her, but one that drew her in and that she wanted to solve for her own pure enjoyment. Now the man was a different kind of mystery. He was cold, callous, and the only thing that needed solving was the reason for this sudden change. Yet she still felt drawn to him…still wanted to pry him open and rummage around.

Unable to control her feet, Kelly jumped from the hotel bed and made her way toward the door with determination in her eyes. No doubt this was a stupid idea, yet she knew she wouldn't get a wink of sleep until it was put behind her. Slipping her phone and key card into the waistband of her bright green shorts, there was no turning back. She shuffled along the corridor, barefoot, and entered the elevator at the end of the hall with a gnawing feeling in her stomach.

The only reason she knew he was on the floor below her was thanks to Eve. Kelly had gone to visit her friend earlier in the night to borrow moisturizer when she had heard a group exit the elevator on their floor. Glancing behind her for only a minute, her eyes had gone wide at the sight of Nexus and trembling, the blond had tossed herself into Eve's doorway as though that would help. Luckily the boys were so caught up in their conversation and had stopped a few doors down to ever even notice to the two girls.

The lurch of the elevator was nothing compared to the sudden pit in her stomach as she exited onto the floor. With a deep breath, Kelly turned and felt her mouth go dry. Standing near the end of the hall with a water-bottle in one hand and his cell phone in the other was the man of the hour: Phil Brooks. He hadn't noticed her and in those few seconds, Kelly truly had an internal argument about just turning around and heading back to her room. Still, the thoughts taunted her just as they had when she was staring up at the ceiling and she knew she needed answers.

Bringing her nervous gaze up from the floor to glance at him again, the diva almost jumped from her skin. He was standing only a few feet away with a slightly cocked eyebrow and an otherwise unreadable expression.

"P-Phil!" She stated in faux surprise, as though she hadn't even noticed him until that moment. "I-I came to…to return something…to Eve! But-but-I don't have it. At the moment. Which doesn't help me all that much."

Through her mild panic attack his face remained impassive and a wave of nausea struck Kelly hard. Her lips immediately closed; one part of her just wanted to keep her mouth from spouting out nonsense and another part was trying to keep back the bile in her throat.

The next few minutes passed in a palpable and painful silence that sat directly on her shoulders and stifled her breathing. Unable to take it, she tried the English language again, hopefully with better luck. "I just…I wanted to talk. I got your text and well…I'm not really sure what to make of it."

"I wasn't trying to trick you, Kelly." His voice was startling. Had it really been that long since it was directed at her? It was literally years since they'd last spoken. The words were unnerving to say the least… "I meant what I put down. Just stay away. My words of wisdom to you. Your friends, John, Randall, Adam, give them your faith, but don't step to the Nexus. Please."

That final, solitary word was chilling. It was a contradiction; a caring plea wrapped in such a disjointed, cold tone. She couldn't shake free from his gaze. Kelly kept her eyes fixed on him until he turned back toward his room and muttered a final phrase. "Night, Kel."

* * *

"He did what?"

Despite his low, level tone Adam's eyes shown with an intensity that was usually saved for the ring. She was almost waiting for him to start running his fingers through his hair and spear her straight through the wall she was leaning against. But instead he began to pace back and forth and ran a hand over his face.

Kelly had debated for hours during the night on whether telling Adam about her encounter with Punk was a good idea or a terrible one. It seemed like the latter had been right, judging by his current reaction. Still, not telling him would have only been another weight on her shoulders. He had been so amazing to her through all of this; he deserved to know everything that was going on.

"Adam, it's fine. I just...I thought you'd want to know-"

"No, no, Kel…Kelly, it's not fine. He's preying on your compassion, your kindness! He'll pretend to care and then covertly threaten you? C'mon! He's just gonna slither his way in with you."

"And…and you seriously think I'd let him? That I'm that naïve?" Her tone raised a few octaves as her anger did. Did Adam really think that little of her? Again she was questioning his faith and it broke her heart.

"Kel, I didn't mean that. I just-"

"Hey, Adam. You gotta get ready. Go get changed and I'll…escort Kelly back to the locker room."

Kelly was grateful for Randy's peace-making interception. It was odd to think of Randy Orton as a peacemaker, right? It was the birth of his gorgeous daughter that mellowed him out. The superstar had learned to appreciate the people in his life that he cared about and Kelly was honored to have made it onto that list. Sure, the two had had bumps in the past with their own failed relationship, but he'd truly apologized and she'd had no reason to refuse.

Not wanting a bigger fight, Adam simply nodded, gave one last pleading look to Kelly, and then walked off. With a deep, shaking breath she turned to Randy. "Thanks for that. I just can't believe he thinks I'll fall for Phil's games."

"He's just worried about you, Kelly. After that stunt last week with John, I think we all are. You're throwing yourself into the line of fire and all us guys are terrified of the day when someone's not around to keep those assholes from you."

"I know, I know. I won't regret standing up for myself or for helping John-" she continued as he opened his mouth to cut her off with a protest, "BUT…but I am going bow out. This isn't my fight and I can't have you guys risking yourselves to take care of me.

Randy nodded and placed a gentle arm around her shoulders.

"I'm glad to hear that. Adam would have been a hassle to reign back in. He cares a lot about you and he'd go out of his way to make sure you're alright."

Kelly blushed a bit at Randy's comment, but managed to shrug it off. "I care about you guys too. But I know that you'll handle these idiots and you don't need little old me to do it. I guess all that's left it to tell Vince…"

* * *

Facing the boss was the kind of experience that made your head spin and your vision blur. You had to use all your courage to take even that first step toward his office. In fact, Kelly spent most of the night trying to psych herself up. It was nearing the final forty minutes of the show when she couldn't put it off a second longer.

Knocking against the hard oak, her insides felt frozen. Vince McMahon was always larger than life behind his huge, fancy desk. He looked like one would picture God, hard at work running the world, and no doubt he liked to think of himself that way. But the thing that scared her most was that the boss' default setting seemed to be angry. There was usually something going wrong somewhere that was just enough to set him off kilter and scream at whoever walked through his door.

Imagine her surprise when he glanced up from his paperwork and greeted the diva with a smile, a true genuine smile…or as genuine as Vince McMahon could get. "Ah, Kelly! Come in. Have a seat." She scurried over and took a seat in the plush chairs laid out in front of his desk. Despite the large cushions, they were less comfy than they appeared and she shifted slightly at first. "I just wanted to let you know that the fans love you! They were thrilled to see you make your comeback to Monday Night Raw a few weeks ago and they're dying for more air-time. That was why I came up with an idea."

So shocked by what she heard, Kelly was unable to speak and merely nodded in encouragement. The fans were impressed and wanted to see more of her? It was unbelievable and if she weren't in the presence of her boss she most likely would have jumped a good foot in the air out of excitement and energy.

But in standard, boss-man fashion, as Vince continued, her enthusiasm vanished and she struggled to swallow around the large lump in her throat. "I think this interaction with Nexus is just what the fans are looking for! It's always a ratings boost when a girl jumps in there with the boys. In fact, Adam has a match later tonight against CM Punk and I think you should be in his corner. Add a bit more tension."

Still trying to process through his whole statement, Kelly nodded in a numb, zombie-like motion. She couldn't believe how quickly this had come tumbling down. And now she was being forced into walking from the office with literally the exact opposite of what she had wanted in all of this. How was she suppose to explain to Randy, Adam, even Phil, that she couldn't walk away now! There was honestly no other option than to move forward unless she was willing to sign her own death wish by disobeying a direct order from Vince.

* * *

"This match is scheduled for one fall! Introducing first: from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, weighing in at two hundred and forty one pounds, being accompanied by the gorgeous Kelly Kelly, Edge!"

Walking through the curtain and the thick fog that Adam used for his entrance, the diva managed to plaster on that bright smile that she was known for. In the fans' eyes there was no fear or concern in her for being out there and she did her best to convince herself of the same thing. She'd support Adam and that would be it.

Adam glanced over as his pyros went off and she could feel his worrying gaze behind the tinted sunglasses. He hadn't been happy when she'd wandered over to his dressing room after her meeting. It took everything in her power to keep him from storming back over to Vince's office and demanding a change in the line-up. He'd have been suspended for an outburst like that and the last thing Kelly needed was that weighing on her conscience.

"Just stick with me…" he whispered in her ear as they walked to the ring. Kelly nodded and managed a true smile for him. Adam would keep her safe. He'd make sure that she was alright. And that was the mantra that she repeated to herself as the Nexus' music hit and the group made its way to the ring. Their gazes stung even as Adam placed a protective arm around her. These men just forced a feeling of dread on you and Phil's displeased and almost disappointed look as he brushed past her increased that look tenfold.

She slid from the ring as the music faded and the match was brought to a start. Her plan for the most part was to stay near the announcers and simply focus on the action. The group on the outside meant nothing to her and hopefully they would feel the same.

After a few minutes without any interaction, Kelly allowed her nerves to calm just a bit. She even managed a flirty wave in the direction of Booker T and the other announcers. The girl cheered when Adam pulled off a move and clapped her hands in encouragement when a particularly nasty submission was placed on him. All in all, it was beginning to feel like every other match she'd played manager for.

But just like that, the tide changed. Both men moved to the outside and somehow Kelly found herself between them. Again, she froze like a deer in headlights under Phil's stare; he was glancing between the two of them like he was making a decision. The referee's ten-count no longer mattered to the party on the outside. This was a duel and someone was going to lose. However, a kind of comfort passed through her as she felt Adam's hand clasp her arm from behind. He tugged her back, attempting to lead her from harm's way, yet her feet wouldn't cooperate.

Then it all happened…

Adam gave another tug to pull her behind him in protection and she finally stumbled back. In that quick moment, confusion spread through her at Phil's own motion; it was as if he had tried to pull her toward him instead. Now that she was safely behind Adam, she turned to rush from the fighting and slammed straight into what felt like a brick wall.

A sickening 'crack' resounded through the arena and the crowd fell silent as the girl dropped to the floor. Mike McGillicutty stood over her prone body, a steel chair still practically vibrating in her hands from the hard strike. He stared for only a moment, stunned at Kelly's lifeless body on the floor, before Adam slammed into him with a hard spear.

Meanwhile, a pain that could only be compared to a million needles swarmed Kelly's small frame as she lay on the concrete floor. It hurt to move at all and the now blurry lights from above blinded her. Each blink of her eyelids became a bit longer than the last and as she slipped into darkness she could only think of one thing: _Phil had seen McGillicutty…he had tried to save her._

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**A/N: **hopefully that was worth the wait! a bit of a cliff-hanger for you at the end. anyway, i'd like to thank old readers for sticking with me through this hiatus. your reviews and support were what pulled me back in, seriously. all the love is beyond amazing. and i'd also like to welcome new readers! you guys are equally as important to me. i always love feedback so feel free to leave me a comment, a message, etc.

some sent in suggestions. i hope your all happy with how i took your comments to heart and will definitely continue to do so! hope you enjoyed! c:_  
_


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